16 CFR 4.2 - Requirements as to form, and filing of documents other than correspondence.

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§ 4.2Requirements as to form, and filing of documents other than correspondence.

(a)Filing.

(1) All paper and electronic documents filed with the Commission or with an Administrative Law Judge pursuant to part 0, part 1, part 2, or part 3 of this chapter shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, except that:

(i) Documents produced in response to compulsory process issued pursuant to part 2 or part 3 of this chapter shall instead be produced to the custodian, deputy custodian, or other person prescribed therein, and in the manner prescribed therein; and

(ii) Comments filed in response to a Commission request for public comment shall instead be filed in the manner prescribed in the Federal Register document or other Commission document containing the request for such comment.

(2) All paper and electronic documents filed with the Commission pursuant to parts 4-999 of this chapter shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, except as otherwise provided in such part.

(b)Title and public or nonpublic status. All paper and electronic documents filed with the Commission or with an Administrative Law Judge pursuant to any part of this chapter shall clearly show the file or docket number and title of the action in connection with which they are filed. Every page of each such document shall be clearly and accurately labeled “Public”, “In Camera” or “Confidential”.

(c)Paper and electronic copies of and service of filings before the Commission or an Administrative Law Judge in adjudicative proceedings.

(1) Each document filed before the Commission or an Administrative Law Judge in an adjudicative proceeding, except documents covered by § 4.2(a)(1)(i), shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission; shall comply with the requirements of § 4.2(b); and shall include a paper original (in 12-point font with 1-inch margins), one paper copy (if before the Administrative Law Judge) or twelve (12) paper copies (if before the Commission), and an electronic copy in Adobe portable document format or such other format as the Secretary may direct.

(2) If the document is labeled “In Camera” or “Confidential”, it must include as an attachment either a motion requesting in camera or other confidential treatment, in the form prescribed by § 3.45, or a copy of a Commission, Administrative Law Judge, or federal court order granting such treatment. The document must also include as a separate attachment a set of only those pages of the document on which the in camera or otherwise confidential material appears and comply with all other requirements of § 3.45 and any other applicable rules governing in camera treatment.

(3)

(i) If the document is labeled “Public”, the electronic copy shall be filed as the Secretary shall direct, or through such electronic system as the Commission may provide.

(ii) If the document is labeled “In Camera” or “Confidential”, the electronic copy shall be submitted on a compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD) so labeled, which shall be physically attached to the paper original, and shall not be transmitted to the Commission by e-mail or any other electronic system.

(iii) Each electronic copy filed pursuant to § 4.2(c)(1) shall include a certification by the filing party that the copy is a true and correct copy of the paper original, and that a paper copy with an original signature is being filed with the Secretary of the Commission on the same day by other means.

(4) Sensitive personal information, as defined in § 3.45(b), shall not be included in, and must be redacted or omitted from, filings where the filing party determines that such information is not relevant or otherwise necessary for the conduct of the proceeding.

(5) A paper copy of each document filed in accordance with this section in an adjudicative proceeding shall be served by the party filing the document or person acting for that party on all other parties pursuant to § 4.4, at or before the time the original is filed.

(d)Paper and electronic copies of other documents filed with the Commission. Each paper or electronic document filed with the Commission, and not covered by § 4.2(a)(1)(i), § 4.2(a)(1)(ii), or § 4.2(c), shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission, and shall be clearly and accurately labeled as required by § 4.2(b).

(1) Each such paper document shall be signed, and shall be accompanied by an electronic copy on a compact disc (CD) or digital video disc (DVD) in Adobe portable document format or such other format as the Secretary shall direct.

(2) Each such document filed pursuant to § 2.10(a), § 2.41(f), or § 2.51 shall also include twelve (12) paper copies of the signed paper original.

(3) Each such document labeled “Public” may be placed on the public record of the Commission at the time it is filed.

(4) If such a document is labeled “Confidential”, and it is filed pursuant to § 2.10(a), § 2.41(f), or § 2.51, it will be rejected for filing pursuant to § 4.2(g), and will not stay compliance with any applicable obligation imposed by the Commission or the Commission staff, unless the filer simultaneously files:

(i) An explicit request for confidential treatment that includes the factual and legal basis for the request, identifies the specific portions of the document to be withheld from the public record, provides the name and address of the person(s) who should be notified in the event the Commission determines to disclose some or all of the material labeled “Confidential”, and otherwise conforms to the requirements of § 4.9(c); and

(ii) A redacted public version of the document that is clearly labeled “Public”.

(e)Form.

(1) Documents filed with the Secretary of the Commission, other than briefs in support of appeals from initial decisions, shall be printed, typewritten, or otherwise processed in permanent form and on good unglazed paper. A motion or other paper filed in an adjudicative proceeding shall contain a caption setting forth the title of the case, the docket number, and a brief descriptive title indicating the purpose of the paper.

(2) Briefs filed on an appeal from an initial decision shall be in the form prescribed by § 3.52(e).

(f)Signature.

(1) The original of each document filed shall have a hand signed signature by an attorney of record for the party, or in the case of parties not represented by counsel, by the party itself, or by a partner if a partnership, or by an officer of the party if it is a corporation or an unincorporated association.

(2) Signing a document constitutes a representation by the signer that he or she has read it; that to the best of his or her knowledge, information, and belief, the statements made in it are true; that it is not interposed for delay; and that to the best of his or her knowledge, information, and belief, it complies with the rules in this part. If a document is not signed or is signed with intent to defeat the purpose of this section, it may be stricken as sham and false and the proceeding may go forward as though the document had not been filed.

(g)Authority to reject documents for filing. The Secretary of the Commission may reject a document for filing that fails to comply with the Commission's rules. In cases of extreme hardship, the Secretary may excuse compliance with a rule regarding the filing of documents if the Secretary determines that the non-compliance would not interfere with the functions of the Commission.

Effective date: These rule revisions are effective on May 12, 2015 and will govern all Commission adjudicatory proceedings that are commenced after that date. They will also govern all Commission adjudicatory proceedings that are pending on May 12, 2015, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.

16 CFR Parts 3 and 4

Summary

The Commission is revising certain of its rules of practice to accommodate changes to the Commission's electronic filing system, to eliminate outdated requirements, and to improve clarity.

The Commission is revising certain of its rules of practice to promote fairness, flexibility and efficiency in its investigations, studies, and adjudicative proceedings. These rule revisions include a revision to the rule governing the status of cases in administrative adjudication following a district court's denial of preliminary injunctive relief in an ancillary proceeding. Other changes include revisions to the list of Commission officials who have authority to modify the terms and timeframe for compliance with compulsory process, and a change to the deadline for the Commission to dispose of petitions to limit or quash compulsory process. In addition, the Commission is updating its procedures for accessing public records and list of exempt Privacy Act systems.

This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part.

Effective date: These rule revisions are effective on May 12, 2015 and will govern all Commission adjudicatory proceedings that are commenced after that date. They will also govern all Commission adjudicatory proceedings that are pending on May 12, 2015, unless otherwise ordered by the Commission.

16 CFR Parts 3 and 4

Summary

The Commission is revising certain of its rules of practice to accommodate changes to the Commission's electronic filing system, to eliminate outdated requirements, and to improve clarity.

The Commission is revising certain of its rules of practice to promote fairness, flexibility and efficiency in its investigations, studies, and adjudicative proceedings. These rule revisions include a revision to the rule governing the status of cases in administrative adjudication following a district court's denial of preliminary injunctive relief in an ancillary proceeding. Other changes include revisions to the list of Commission officials who have authority to modify the terms and timeframe for compliance with compulsory process, and a change to the deadline for the Commission to dispose of petitions to limit or quash compulsory process. In addition, the Commission is updating its procedures for accessing public records and list of exempt Privacy Act systems.